The Food Diaries

Chirashi salmon with a mixed green salad and yuzu dressing

Cook 1 cup of brown (or white) sushi rice with 2 cups of water as per your favourite rice cooking method (I use a rice cooker). Note that if you use white rice then you will need to rinse it well in cold water first to remove some of the starch. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together 40ml rice vinegar, 20ml sugar and 1tsp salt till well dissolved. Once the rice is cooked mix in the vinegar till the rice becomes glossy. Divide between two serving bowls.

Take two salmon fillets and cut into small cubes. Place in the centre of the rice and sprinkle with a little nanami togarashi (a Japanese chili/mandarin peel powder). In a separate bowl place 1tbs yuzu juice (a Japanese citrus fruit), 1/2 tsp wasabi powder, 1tbs mirin, 1tbs grapeseed oil and 1tbs shoyu. Mix well with some mixed salad greens (watercress, wild rocket, baby spinach). Place around the salmon.

Serves 2.

Robin Winter Cabbage - its distinctive purple colouring brightening up a dull January day

If you manage to get a hold of one of these cabbages (I found mine at a local farmer’s market) then here are some recipe ideas to brighten up a winter’s evening. Why not have a go at making Okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pancakes), or for something quick then a simple crisp cabbage & bacon might do the trick. Finally, for something with a bit more spice and umph to it then try replacing the shredded brussel sprouts with cabbage in this spicy sesame wok stir fry.

Grilled Salmon with a sweet miso marinade served with roasted chantenay carrots

In a small bowl whisk together 3 tbs miso paste, 2 tbs mirin, 1 tbs sugar, and 1 tbs sake. Spread over 2 salmon fillets (around 100g). Marinate between 30 minutes and overnight. Remove the salmon from the marinade and place on an oiled or non-stick baking tray, skin side down (skinless fillets are fine too). Bake in the oven at 200c for about 12-15 minutes, till the salmon just cooked through. Add a final brush of marinade to gloss up the salmon and serve with some roasted chantenay carrots (baked in the oven at 200c till lightly golden with a drizzle of olive oil, honey and thyme).

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ROASTED SWEET POTATO WITH MISO >

Seared swordfish with sushi rice and spicy Japanese dipping sauce

This recipe works best when the swordfish is super fresh (look out for shiny, slightly pink and almost translucent steaks).

Start by the preparing the rice: take 1 cup brown sushi rice and place in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 12 minutes. Switch off the heat and let the rice rest till all the water has been absorbed. In a bowl mix together 2 tbs rice vinegar with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar till dissolved. Transfer the rice to a bowl and stir in the rice vinegar using a flat spatula. Cover and set aside.

To make the sauce: in a small bowl mix together 2 tbs mayonnaise, 1 tsp ketchup, 1 tsp mirin, 2 tsp soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp wasabi powder (or prepared wasabi will do).

Heat 1 tsp rapeseed oil in a pan till quite hot, sprinkle black and white sesame seeds on both sides of 2 swordfish fillets. Sear the swordfish for about 1-2 minutes per side (depending on how rare you like your fish). Transfer to a cutting board and cut into slices across the grain.

To serve: divide the rice between two bowls, place the swordfish slices overtop and add a large dollop of sauce on the side. Serve 2.

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OKONOMIYAKI >

Aqua Kyoto Terrace, London

A swish, hyper-central location London venue, perched high up over the city - David Yeo’s Aqua is indeed a sight to behold. The interior may be dark, glam, and even a tad scary (lots of long mirrored hallways), but the exterior roof-top terrace could instead be mistaken for sunny Ibiza (well, at least on one of those rare, warm and glowing summer evenings). There is a terrific cocktail and Japanese grazing menu (sushi, bar nibbles), however, I stuck to a sunny white Rioja and imagined myself in an altogether different location - already deep into my summer holidays.

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THE BOUNDARY ROOFTOP >

Peruvian Ceviche - a Japanese-inspired recipe

Ceviche is a fab alternative to sushi - especially for those not a fan of raw fish. The citrus juices “cook” the fish to a delicate opaqueness. There has been quite a bit of Japanese influence over Peruvian food due to a wave of immigration to the country starting in 1899. Nobu, for instance, is of Japanese-Peruvian origin and this recipe draws on some of the flavours from his own recipe for ceviche (found in The Cookbook).

Choose a selection (1-3) from the following fish (for a total of 500g skinned fish fillets): wild sea bass, turbot, organic salmon, gurnard, pollack, sea trout. Cut the fish fillets into thin slices (cut against the grain - i.e. across the width of the fillet). Place in a shallow bowl.

Mix together: the juice of 3 limes (50ml), 2 lemons (75ml), 25ml yuzu (or substitute with the 1 orange), 1 tbs soy, 1 tsp each of finely grated garlic and ginger, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp Japanese Chili pepper - Nanami Togarashi (or 1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped). Add 1 small red onion, very finely sliced, 2 celery sticks, also finely sliced and pour the sauce over the fish.

Leave to marinate between 20 minutes and 4 hours (the less time you marinate the fish, the more delicate and fresh the flavour).

Spoon the fish and marinade into 5 individual cups or glasses and garnish with halved cherry tomatoes.

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Chirashi (scattered) sushi - an easy introduction to DIY sushi

Chirashi is a popular version of sushi favoured by the Japanese at home. It is also one of my favourite weekend lunches as it has just a few ingredients but requires the fish to be super-fresh. I tend to substitute brown sushi rice (found at health food or specialist Japanese shops) to the standard white, as it suits the dish quite nicely (less sticky and more flavoursome).

Cook 1 cup of brown sushi rice with 2 cups of water as per your favourite rice cooking method (I use a rice cooker). Note that if you use white rice then you will need to rinse it in cold water to remove some of the starch. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together 40ml rice vinegar, 20ml sugar and 1tsp salt till well dissolved. Once the rice is cooked mix in the vinegar till the rice becomes glossy. Divide between two serving bowls. Optionally you can add some seaweed sprinkles.

For the toppings: take 2 small salmon fillets, sprinkle on sesame seeds and nigella seeds and sear on both sides in a hot pan with a dash of rapeseed oil (maximum of 45 seconds on each side). Transfer to a cutting board and cut into slices on an angle. Place the salmon slices in the two bowls. Add some sliced cucumber and/or avocado.

For the dressing: mix/whisk together 3 tbs mayonnaise (I like the extra light versions), 1/2 tbs ketchup, 1/2 tbs mirin, 1/2 tbs soy sauce, 1/2 tsp powdered wasabi (or pre-mixed paste). Add a generous dollop to each bowl.

Serves 2.

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JAPANESE TEA >

KINPIRA GOBO (BURDOCK AND CARROT SALAD) >

Anonymous asked: Hi Lydia

Dean here (from Hotonline)...

Claire tells me that you are bit of a whizz in the kitchen and I really want to start making my own sushi- i cant get enough of the stuff!! Can I eat any salmon/tuna etc raw or does it have to be a certain type???

Yes, you can definitely buy and eat raw fish for sushi. Salmon and tuna are probably the safest options, especially when starting out with sushi, though white-fleshed fish works quite nicely too (sea bass for instance), as well as mackerel (although this type of fish has to be “cured” in salt first before consuming).

Having said that, I generally am quite careful about where I buy my fish. I am lucky enough to have a fab fishmonger up in Islington - Steve Hatt (he seemed a bit insulted when I once asked him if his fish was fresh enough for sushi!!). Do you have a good fishmonger/supermarket fish counter you can trust near you? If you’re not sure, just ask yourself when you walk by the place: does it smell “fishy” or “fresh like the sea”? If fishy, then forget about it. If the answer is no, then head to the Japan Centre in Piccadilly, which has recently been expanded: a cold/hot take-out counter, a sushi conveyor belt, all the Japanese ingredients and kits you might need to make sushi, and where you can buy pristine pieces of sushi fish. It’s a nice way to start practicing.

Let me know how you get on!

Umami - the fifth basic taste now available in a tube!

Apparently there are a finite number of tastes various food flavours can be grouped under - bitter, sweet, sour, salty, and savoury. This latter late addition to the collection of tastes was identified by a scientist in Japan in the early 20th century as a glutamate and has since been referred to as “umami” - Japanese for flavour or taste. Not particularly well-known in the West, nevertheless a number of Western foods can attribute umami as its flavour base (including Worcester sauce and Marmite in the UK).

Now umami can be found in a tube! Called Taste No. 5 Umami Paste, this fab little product combines parmesan, anchovy, black olives, tomato puree, garlic, porcini mushrooms, and balsamic vinegar for a taste explosion. Add it to anything which needs a bit of pep (I added it to some bolognaise sauce).

Okonomiyaki - Japanese cabbage-based savoury pancakes

I love the humble Okonomiyaki (apparently its origins lie in wartime Osaka when the staple rice was hard to come by and was substituted with cabbage). Okonomi meaning “as you like it”, and yaki meaning grilled. I’ve had these in specialist Japanese restaurants. In London try Abeno. But I had a home demo done by my friend Mayuko and was looking forward to trying it myself. I’ve somewhat by buying a DIY kit - but there is no reason why the ingredients couldn’t be assembled yourself.

In a bowl, mix together 100g flour, 160g water, 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, and 1tbs yam flour (you can substitute potato starch or rice flour, or if not available, just substitute with flour). My kit also included 30g Tenkasu (tempura bits), but this is really not a necessary addition. Stir in 300g green cabbage, finely sliced, 2 spring onions, sliced, and 100g raw, peeled shrimp. Brush a frying pan with a little vegetable oil and heat till hot and then reduce to medium. Pour some of the mixture onto the pan into circles (I like quite small ones). At this point you can add some thinly sliced raw pork chop slices or bacon slices on top if you like (or omit as I did). Turn over when the edges look cooked. Gently press with a spatula to spread out a bit (cover to speed up the cooking if you like). Turn over again and cook till browned on the bottom. Now add the toppings: brush with Okonomiyaki or Tonkatsu sauce (or substitute with a little Worcester sauce), next is a zigzag squeeze of mayonnaise (ideally Japanese), Finally sprinkle with ao nori (dried seaweed flakes) and Katsuobushi (bonito flakes).

Japanese tea break - GenMai cha & Houji cha

A present from my Japanese friend Myuko (handed delivered from Japan) - these fragrant Japanese teas are soothing and delicate in flavour. Genmai cha is a mixture of green tea and roasted brown rice - the equivalent of the British cuppa in terms of popularity in Japan. Houji cha is a roasted tea so brews to a slightly bitter brown tea (it often includes the tea twigs). It is lower in caffeine so perfect for an evening cup. Green tea is known to have many health benefits - from reducing cholesterol to reducing the risks of cancer. No wonder the Japanese have such a long life expectancy.

Panko-crusted Salmon with a mustard glaze - Japan by way of the South of France

I paid a visit to the Japan Centre in London which is a treasure trove of Japanese ingredients. I was feeling a bit brave at the time so I bought quite a few new ingredients to try out in recipes - which no doubt will be popping up soon in the pages of The Food Diaries. First up though is a super simple one using Panko (a very light and crisp Japanese breadcrumb).

How I made it:

Mix together 1tbs brown mustard (I like Finnish or Danish mustard - though a mild Dijon will do) with 1 tsp honey and 2 tsp dried or fresh thyme. Brush this mixture onto two salmon fillets. Mix together 1/3 cup Panko, with 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tbs chopped parsley, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and some salt and pepper. Layer this on top of the salmon. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees. Leave in a bit longer if it is too pink for your taste - but do not overcook!

Kinpira Gobo (Burdock and Carrot Salad)

I first had this dish at my favourite conveyor belt sushi restaurant in London - Kulu Kulu in Covent Garden and I have wanted to recreate it ever since. Tracking down burdock root (or Gobo) is not the easiest thing in the world, and actually is quite fiddly to peel and cut up. Much better to buy them pre-cut into matchstick-sized pieces (I lucked out in the frozen section of the Japan Centre, London).

Heat a 1 tbs of vegetable oil in a frying pan and briefly stir fry 1 1/2 cups burdock root and 1/2 cup carrots cut into matchsticks. Add 1 1/2 tbs mirin, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbs sake, 1 tbs sugar, and a pinch of Nanami Togarashi (a Japanese chili mix) or substitute plain chili flakes. It should still be crunchy.

Serve with a drizzle of sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Crab cakes @ Wagamama

Wagamama was opened nearly 20 years ago by the genius that is Alan Yau (I like to call him the Ang Lee of restaurateurs as he has moved across many food genres - Japanese canteen food, Honk Kong style Chinese Hakkasan, retro modernist Japanese Sake No Hana - and more recently super authentic Italian deli and bakery Princi).

Us Londoners, with a Wagamama in every part of town take for granted the speedy service, the super fresh ingredients, the clean tastes, the honest prices and the accessible menu.